Motor vehicles, such as automobiles and trucks, include one or more doors pivotally mounted by hinges to a door frame for movement between open and closed positions. The weight of the door is supported by the hinges. The door typically includes a latch assembly and the door frame includes a striker assembly. A rotor and catch on the latch assembly releasably mate with a bolt on the striker assembly when the door is closed.
Problems arise in closing the door when the latch assembly and striker assembly are misaligned. Such misalignment can result from damage to the door or merely from the weight of the door, particularly in military and armored vehicles which have heavy doors. Flexing of the vehicle cab and body may also lead to misalignment of the latch and striker assemblies. When the rotor of the latch assembly is misaligned or offset from the striker bolt, closing of the door becomes difficult, if not impossible. Misalignment may also detrimentally affect opening of the door.
It has been known in the prior art to utilize an inclined plane on the striker assembly to lift a door that has dropped out of alignment with the striker bolt. However, such inclined planes provide nominal lift or travel of the misaligned door, and therefore are limited to minor misalignments, typically 6 millimeters or less. Such inclined planes also require substantial force in closing the door, with such forces being detrimentally transmitted to other vehicle components.
Therefore, a primary objective of the present invention is the provision of an alignment assembly for a vehicle door latch and striker bolt.
A further objective of the present invention is the provision of an improved latch and striker combination for a vehicle door to allow the door to close even though there is misalignment between the latch and striker assemblies.
Another objective of the present invention is the provision of an alignment device for a vehicle door latch and striker combination which automatically lifts a sagging door for proper alignment during closing.
Another objective of the present invention is the provision of an alignment device for a vehicle door latch and striker combination which assists in the support of a heavy door.
Still another objective of the present invention is the provision of a vehicle door frame having a pivoting cam on a striker assembly to assure proper alignment between the rotor of a door latch and a bolt of a striker on a motor vehicle.
Yet another objective of the present invention is the provision of a method of aligning a vehicle door latch with a striker bolt on the vehicle frame.
Another objective of the present invention is the provision of a device that can be retrofit onto a vehicle door frame to align the door latch with the striker bolt.
Another objective of the present invention is the provision for a replaceable striker alignment block for field repair.
A further objective of the present invention is the provision of an alignment assembly for a vehicle door which is economical to manufacture and durable in use.
These and other objectives will become apparent from the following description of the invention.